Brightening up a dark room - tips from professional painters

How to brighten up a dark room with paint? Professional painters offer tips on brightening up a dark room

Paint is a simple way to brighten up any dark and dingy areas around your home, so your home is more open and inviting. 

The professionals at Spectra Painting Contractors are passionate about making your home or workspace beautiful.

In this post, we’ll talk about how to brighten up dark rooms using different paint colors, clever design techniques, and what you should avoid doing in spaces that already tend to be dark. 

Here are a few ways to brighten up a dark room with paint

1. Ditch the dark ceilings

The easiest way to brighten up a dark space is by painting the ceiling a bright white, which draws light up and throughout the room. A painted white ceiling will also make your room feel taller and more spacious. 

2. Opt for matte, light walls 

Glossier paints reflect light, which can make a room feel smaller. Matte paint absorbs much of the light and lets your eye follow the entire length of the wall. 

3. Stick to neutral or soft color schemes, usually

When it comes to choosing a color, stick to something that won’t be too bold. Whites and softer colors are naturally more calming and can make a room open up. Some designers suggest that if your room lacks natural light altogether, white paint won’t help much. In that case, they recommend you use softer colors or bright warm colors like Lavender, Powder Blue, Soft Gray, Pink, Peach, Bright Yellow, or Bright Orange.  

4. Consider high-gloss paint on the ceiling

If you have trim on or around your ceiling, use high-gloss paint to accentuate those features. A high-gloss paint can help draw even more light up to your white ceiling. 

5. Use art for pops of fun color 

If you still want to add color to your space, opt for a few pieces of art, but not too much. Choosing up to three pieces of art will keep your room looking interesting without cluttering up the walls and making the space seem small and dark. 

6. Don’t rule out an all-white look 

If you’re ready to embrace a brighter space, consider going all-white. White walls, ceilings, and furnishings can maximize the brightness in a room without looking too overdone. It’s best to do this technique for areas that already do receive some natural light. 

7. Paint your woodwork too

If you have wood trim, wood paneling, or other unattractive wood features in your room, go ahead and paint them white or a lighter color. Painting the wood trim will help lighten up any remaining dark wall features and give your room a more modern vibe.  

Here are a few easy, non-paint options to brighten up your space

We know you’re here for paint tips, but there are a few other strategies you can use along with the right paint to brighten up your darker rooms. 

1. Maximize the light you have, and consider adding light sources

You can add more light to your room by adding brighter lightbulbs and ambient lighting. Also, pay attention to where your lights are in the room. Placing a lamp near a mirror will help spread the light out more, or you can point lights at the walls and ceiling to brighten up the room even more. 

2. Don’t clutter your space with knick-knacks

Lots of clutter or art can make a room seem small and dark. Keep things simple in rooms that tend to be darker to avoid creating too many visual distractions. 

3. Mirrors and other shiny surfaces help a lot

Purchase a few mirrors to place around the room and near windows to help bounce light around. You can also find mirrored or shiny furnishings to fill the space. 

4. Clean your windows

Dirty windows don’t let in all the light they could be. Be sure to have your windows cleaned at least once a year and make sure the inside windows get a wipe down every few weeks. 

Here are a few things that may be inadvertently making your space darker

1. Dark accent walls

Dark accent walls in an already dark room can suck up light and draw attention to the room’s darkest feature. If you want an accent feature, consider using a lighter wallpaper or a cool blue shade to add some subtle variation. 

2. Heavy window treatments

If you have darker or thick curtains, you could be blocking a lot of light from entering the space. Sheer curtains are better for allowing light to enter a room while maintaining a little privacy. 

3. Dark rugs and furniture 

We already said that white paint on the ceiling helps brighten up your space, but white or lighter colors on the ground are also important. Consider laying down light-colored area rugs or repainting dark furniture to help lighten up the room. 

4. Too much stuff

If you have a lot of art on the walls, cluttered bookshelves, or knick-knacks around, your room will feel smaller and dark. Eliminate some of that stuff and embrace a more minimal look with pieces that you enjoy. 

In conclusion

If you want to create a brighter space, the best first step is with a fresh coat of paint. Before you commit to a new color, be sure to get samples and see how each shade looks around your room. You can start with white and experiment with other shades until you find something that makes your walls pop. 

Once the paint is updated, the rest of the project will be relatively easy. Then you can simplify and eliminate any extra visual clutter, add a mirror or two for more light, and swap out your darker furniture for lighter pieces. 

If you’re in the Greater Boston area, call Spectra Painting Contractors for your next home painting project. Our team of experienced professionals can help get your room finally looking light and bright.